Eric Shaw's abstract looped paintings start as digital sketches

Date
2 September 2015

On first glance, artist Eric Shaw’s paintings of abstract loops in contrasting colours are like flattened lengths of liquorice and candy lances. But his inspiration starts in the real world as each artwork begins by translating the “graphic design in the city on a daily basis, from truck logos to signage,” the New York-based artist says. The vivid reds and whites contrasting with greens and yellows reflects this, as though he’s stretched out street signs into unrecognisable strips and lines. By composing digital sketches from what he sees using a drawing app on his phone, Eric then transposes these elements by hand onto canvas. “I am continuously challenged by attempting to draw a straight line with my pointer finger on the screen,” he explains.

We last featured Eric’s work in 2012, where his painted collages of various shapes and collages had an 80s, almost Memphis-inspired look to them. His style feels more refined now, where details and clutter have been removed. This graphic lean towards his work is what I find so intriguing as his acrylic markings are bold and intentional and aligns with the way Eric sees his work. “I view each painting as a still… layering flat images that use the entire surface of the canvas to create a false sense of depth and uneasiness,” the artist explains.

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Eric Shaw: Three Loops Superimposed

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Eric Shaw: Bound

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Eric Shaw: Three Loops Superimposed

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Eric Shaw: Two Slot Scroll TIp

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About the Author

Rebecca Fulleylove

Rebecca Fulleylove is a freelance writer and editor specialising in art, design and culture. She is also senior writer at Creative Review, having previously worked at Elephant, Google Arts & Culture, and It’s Nice That.

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